For Press Only
Local Government Commission
A national, nonprofit, membership organization
1303 J St., Suite 250 | Sacramento, CA 95814
lgc.org | newpartners.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, January 30, 2012
Dave Davis, mediaideas@lgc.org, 510-526-0626, cell 510-230-9668
Michele Warren, mkwarren@lgc.org, 916-448-1198 x308
Note for reporters: During the event, please check in at the conference registration desk in the Grande Ballroom foyer of the Sheraton San Diego Hotel (1380 Harbor Island Dr.) to obtain a media credential.
Making Smart Growth Work for Everyone
National conference explores the role of smart growth, equitable development and environmental justice in economic growth and community revitalization
Smart growth, equitable development and environmental justice all strive for development that creates healthy, vibrant places and that gives people greater opportunity and choice. Given this common goal, how can smart growth, equitable development and environmental justice supporters work together to ensure that lower-income communities, communities of color and indigenous communities can participate in and benefit from the decisions that shape their neighborhoods and regions?
In San Diego this week (Feb. 1-4), the 11th annual New Partners for Smart Growth Conference – the largest and most comprehensive smart growth/sustainable communities conference held in the U.S. – will explore these critical issues and showcase strategies for greater collaboration among smart growth, equitable development and environmental justice advocates. [For agenda: www.NewPartners.org]
“Communities have been at the forefront of implementing solutions for advancing environmental justice through equitable development and sustainable practices at the local level. Environmental justice advocates are achieving extraordinary outcomes everyday and we will continue to support their efforts,” said Lisa Garcia, Associate Assistant Administrator for Environmental Justice at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The conference’s Equitable Development track of sessions will highlight issues ranging from revitalization without displacement to the role of youth in sustainable brownfields redevelopment to healthy metropolitan food systems. In “Smart Growth, Immigrant Integration and Sustainable Development,” one of the nation’s most renowned experts on immigration, Manuel Pastor, will address how our nation’s changing demographics will impact transportation, jobs and land use, as well as the possibilities for new coalitions for sustainable growth. “Health, Justice and Equity in Freight and Infrastructure Development” will look at how port cities like Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Diego and Oakland can address health, environmental and workplace impacts on low-income communities of color living near ports, railroads, freeways and distribution centers.
In addition, a pre-conference workshop on “Advancing Equity through Planning: Challenges and Opportunities” (Wednesday, Feb. 1) will explore how communities and regions are integrating social equity, affordability, economic and workforce development, and environmental justice into their planning efforts. The half-day forum will draw on the experiences of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Sustainable Communities Regional Planning and Community Challenge grantees and their community-based partners and examine ways to apply lessons learned more broadly. It will close with leaders from federal agencies and foundations reflecting on their organizations’ next steps for supporting equitable and sustainable planning.
“We now know that smart growth strategies are critical to job growth and economically healthy regions across the country – from our rural towns to our biggest metropolitan cities,” said Judy Corbett, executive director of the Local Government Commission, a nonprofit, membership organization based in California, which is organizing the conference.
A group of foundations are providing support for a diversity scholarship fund to allow more participants from lower-income and underrepresented communities to attend the conference.
About the conference: With a dynamic mix of over 100 sessions, trainings and implementation workshops, trainings, the New Partners for Smart Growth conference will draw a national audience of more than 1,350 elected officials and government agency leaders as well as developers, builders, bankers, realtors, and advocates and professionals in planning, transportation, public health, landscape architecture, architecture, housing, parks and recreation, public works, crime prevention, education and the environment. For a full list of sponsors and more details about the conference agenda and special features: NewPartners.org
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